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Boosting innovative Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Regions for young entrepreneurs

Project summary

iEER is an Interreg Europe funded flagship project bringing together 10 regions around Europe. Initiated by a group of regions awarded with the European Entrepreneurial Region label, iEER will define smart paths and solutions to boost regional entrepreneurship ecosystems supporting young entrepreneurs.

€2,294,882.00

from 1 Apr 2016
to 31 Mar 2020

Topic

SME competitiveness

Working together to support young entrepreneurs

For the next four years project partners will learn from each other to build better services and regional policies in support of startups. The project aims to break down silo mentality and bring together all actors having a hand in entrepreneurial success. Universities, local and regional authorities, entrepreneurship support organisations and SMEs are closely involved in the project both on the local and interregional levels.

iEER is about working together across borders and organisations to find the best solutions for regional entrepreneurial ecosystems.

What will we do?

A key element of the project are learning camps, where project partners study the best practices of a region and brainstorm in workshops to identify what makes or breaks a budding business.

In addition to learning camps, peer reviews form an important part of the learning process. Peer reviews provide an outside perspective to the region and the received feedback is a valuable tool in improving the local ecosystems.

iEER learning process is conducted during 2016-2018, after which the findings are collected, analysed and compiled into regional action plans and into an iEER Boost Growth Handbook. The handbook gathers the best practices and most useful policies into a practical guide to benefit other European regions.

Sharing the knowledge

In 2018-2020 iEER will move from learning to implementation. Regional actions plans are put into practice and their progress is closely monitored. The results and lessons learned from the implementation of the action plans are collected into a policy recommendation. Action plans, Boost Growth Handbook and policy recommendation will be shared to provide others the chance to implement lessons learned.

iEER works closely with the EU Committee of the Regions and DG Growth to make sure project results can be enjoyed by regions around Europe.

Partnership

Lead Partner

Partner

What policy instruments does the project address?

Finland’s ESIF programme is a multi-funding instrument aiming to create more than 12,700 new jobs and support 5660 SMEs by 2023. In the Helsinki-Uusimaa region the programme has a budget of 50 million euros.

iEER will provide solutions to improve the efficiency of structural funds and to pool multi-funding resources available from the EU and national or private actors. The project aims for a sustainable impact and investment of structural funds in the Helsinki-Uusimaa region.

Which partners are working on this?

The ESIF programme of the Westpomeranian Region has a budget of 1150 million euros (ERDF) and 450 million euros (ESF). Its aims to support more than 1,900 enterprises, 20,000 unemployed people in their search for a job and 12,000 pupils participating in internships.

iEER provides the opportunity to learn the best practices from other regions making most out of ESIF funds to benefit young entrepreneurs.

One way to increase the competitiveness of the region is related to the creation of high value added niches. Through iEER West Region Romania can identify and import best practices to improve the local entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Which partners are working on this?

The ESIF programme for Brandenburg has a budget of 364 million euros and aims to improve the competitiveness of enterprises by enhancing the quality, innovation, security and flexibility of the labour market and workforce.

Land Brandenburg supports business start-ups as an important source of employment and as a strategic approach to unemployment. iEER strengthens this approach by presenting new and innovative ways to use structural funds in startup support.

The region has a young population but unemployment rate is higher than national average. iEER will help the region to discover best practices and improve policies to boost young entrepreneurship in the area.

Which partners are working on this?

The addressed structural fund aims to create 20,000 sustainable jobs in Northern Ireland by 2020. With a budget of 308 million euros, the policy instrument is trying to reduce the size of the public sector and grow the private sector.

iEER will help the region to find best practice and improve local policies to better support entrepreneurship and SMEs.

Which partners are working on this?

The current structural fund programme aims to raise productivity level 10 per cen above the OEDC average. It focuses on 3 business areas of regional RIS3 sectors: Health and Social Innovation, Sustainable energy and Experience Economy.

Through iEER the region of Southern Denmark seeks to learn the best practices from other partner regions to link the development in urban areas to outlying areas using entrepreneurship as the lever.

Which partners are working on this?

Valencia's structural fund programme aims to invigorate the Valencian Enterprises Network. The programme helps to create and develop new enterprises and startup support services.

iEER will help the region to come up with new ways to foster entrepreneurial spirit and mindset activation in young people. It will also present measures to strengthen the local entrepreneurship ecosystem to promote growth and competitiveness.

Which partners are working on this?

The structural fund programme in Kerry region aims to promote entrepreneurship by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms. A particular emphasis is given for the need to accelerate micro-enterprise start-up and expansion.

iEER supports the region to develop policies and practices which continue to deliver entrepreneurial support.

Which partners are working on this?

Institute of Technology Tralee

Join the conversation on LinkedIn

What do you think needs to be done to improve services to startups? Join iEER LinkedIn group to discuss and network with others working with startup support.